Mac, No you didn't understand what I was saying and I didn't use the word erroneous. What I said was that in the absence of an original source document I will accept a compiled record and use it as a clue. By your standard, "Nothing should be published as being a family history unless it's been verified at least by some type of verifiable information." very little would ever be printed or placed on the internet. By training and from experience, I question every document. I'll never forget a friend's father who became very upset when he found out that the census taker had put his given name down in the 1930 US Census record as Gene when his name is really Earl. To his memory no one had ever called him Gene. His question to me was, "How can I have the census changed?" Unfortunately his name on this 76 year old original document will be forever wrong. I think that it is best to keep in mind that everyone involved in family history is at a different level from the novice to the super professional genealogist. Some can only spend minutes a week on this hobby while others live on the internet and in libraries 24 X 7. Likewise we don't all have the same access to original or compiled resources. I spend considerable time encouraging others from 8 to 80 to get involved. Family history is not just the past; it is also the present and the future. I'm in my late fifties and do everything I can to connect with my dad, aunts and uncles while at the same time passing things on to my children and grandchildren. My grandmother started my love for family history when she would take her grandchildren to the cemetery to put flowers on graves and would tell us stories about our ancestors. If I can instill this same love of family history in just one of my children or grandchildren, I will have accomplished something worthwhile. I hope that you Warren, Ken, Celia and any others who are complaining about errors can forgive those who enjoy the feeling of knowing more about their families and just want to share their findings with others be it complete, partially complete or just in error. May he or she that has never made a family history error cast the first rebuttal. Martin Family History: the freedom to remember. -----Original Message----- From: Gilbert Ray [mailto:gmray47@nc.rr.com] Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 9:12 AM To: SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 & IGI entries on LDS site Martin I disagree with your contention that an erroneous family history is better than none. At least that's what I think you said. Nothing should be published as being a family history unless it's been verified at least by some type of verifiable information. I've seen my family history on the LDS site and it's simply wrong and misleading. If the person that published it had taken a little more time to do some real research they would have found the real family tree because that information is in the public sector. Mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Collett" <mcollett@dslextreme.com> To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 11:47 AM Subject: RE: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 & IGI entries on LDS site > Dear List, > > This has been an interesting discussion on source value so let me throw in > my two cents. First, I will almost always take an original record over a > compiled record. Second, in the absence of an original record, give me a > compiled record so I at least have a clue to get around my roadblocks. > Finally, be thankful for every name, date, place, story and picture that > you can find because someone whether on purpose or by accident took the time > to record it or pass it on. > > Family history is an art form not a science and each of us paints or > records in different styles and media. While you may be frustrated with the LDS > site, please consider sharing your genealogy on their site through the > Pedigree Resource File (PRF) by going to the "SHARE" tab. This way not > only is the incorrect information on the site but also your corrected version. > As site users then it would be up to us to sort out which data is right > and wrong by finding original records to support it. When you contribute to > the PRF, you can provide your name and contact information so that other > researchers can contact you directly to obtain your sources, discussing > your findings or share their information. It is also a great way to find > cousins. > > As a family history researcher, I am extremely grateful for all of the > time and effort that others have spent preparing compiled records and making > them available. I truly owe many of my family lines and connections to those > who share -- thank you! > > Martin > Family History: the freedom to remember. > > -----Original Message----- > From: celiageary [mailto:celia_geary@infogen.net.nz] > Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 6:58 PM > To: SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 > > I agree with almost everything you said. The LDS through their many > adherents, give genealogists a source from which we can search further > and I really appreciate their magnanimity in sharing the website cost free, > but what frustrates me, is that when I know information posted on the LDS > site is erroneous, there is no way of correcting it. All I am trying to say is > that the LDS should have a feed-back site so that we can correct errors, > otherwise they just go on being perpetuated ad infinitum. > Our local Council entered all the cemetery records on line so that > genealogists and others could find further info to add to that gained by > reading gravestones, but there were lots of mistakes, mainly due to poor > handwriting in the old days, so they provided an email site so that > researchers could enter corrections for staff to alter the entries and > remove the errors for the future. That is all I am saying that it would be > helpful for the LDS to do. But after being a researching genealogist for > over 30 years, I will reiterate , that Primary sources are the best if you > can access them. There are so many extra little snippets of info on a > primary source. Celia. > > ______________________________ > > > ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== > FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MAILING LIST - HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE - HOW TO > CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, ETC, ETC...: > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/maillist.htm

I guess I just over reacted to what was said. I've seen so much information on the LDS genealogies that is simply just nonsense that I've come to view them as just a lot of unrelated words. Yes one must use whatever sources are available. And there are a lot of errors made by government officials such as Earl being called Gene that a researcher must learn to interpolate at times. I guess that what I mean is that the LDS doesn't really do any research themselves and just accepts what is given to them and a lot of the information is poorly researched by the submitter. But we're just human and we all make errors on our own family history. My personal history really just drops off the face of the earth at about 1790 but the LDS has a much more ancient family history for my family that is completely in error from about 1790 to 1845. I guess I'm just frustrated. Mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Collett" <mcollett@dslextreme.com> To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 2:20 AM Subject: RE: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 & IGI entries on LDS site > Mac, > > No you didn't understand what I was saying and I didn't use the word > erroneous. What I said was that in the absence of an original source > document I will accept a compiled record and use it as a clue. By your > standard, "Nothing should be published as being a family history unless > it's > been verified at least by some type of verifiable information." very > little > would ever be printed or placed on the internet. By training and from > experience, I question every document. I'll never forget a friend's > father > who became very upset when he found out that the census taker had put his > given name down in the 1930 US Census record as Gene when his name is > really > Earl. To his memory no one had ever called him Gene. His question to me > was, "How can I have the census changed?" Unfortunately his name on this > 76 > year old original document will be forever wrong. > > I think that it is best to keep in mind that everyone involved in family > history is at a different level from the novice to the super professional > genealogist. Some can only spend minutes a week on this hobby while > others > live on the internet and in libraries 24 X 7. Likewise we don't all have > the same access to original or compiled resources. I spend considerable > time encouraging others from 8 to 80 to get involved. Family history is > not > just the past; it is also the present and the future. I'm in my late > fifties and do everything I can to connect with my dad, aunts and uncles > while at the same time passing things on to my children and grandchildren. > My grandmother started my love for family history when she would take her > grandchildren to the cemetery to put flowers on graves and would tell us > stories about our ancestors. If I can instill this same love of family > history in just one of my children or grandchildren, I will have > accomplished something worthwhile. > > I hope that you Warren, Ken, Celia and any others who are complaining > about > errors can forgive those who enjoy the feeling of knowing more about their > families and just want to share their findings with others be it complete, > partially complete or just in error. May he or she that has never made a > family history error cast the first rebuttal. > > Martin > Family History: the freedom to remember. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Gilbert Ray [mailto:gmray47@nc.rr.com] > Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 9:12 AM > To: SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 & IGI entries on > LDS site > > Martin I disagree with your contention that an erroneous family history is > better than none. At least that's what I think you said. Nothing should > be > > published as being a family history unless it's been verified at least by > some type of verifiable information. I've seen my family history on the > LDS > > site and it's simply wrong and misleading. If the person that published > it > had taken a little more time to do some real research they would have > found > the real family tree because that information is in the public sector. > Mac > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Martin Collett" <mcollett@dslextreme.com> > To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 11:47 AM > Subject: RE: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 & IGI entries on > LDS site > > >> Dear List, >> >> This has been an interesting discussion on source value so let me throw >> in >> my two cents. First, I will almost always take an original record over a >> compiled record. Second, in the absence of an original record, give me a >> compiled record so I at least have a clue to get around my roadblocks. >> Finally, be thankful for every name, date, place, story and picture that >> you can find because someone whether on purpose or by accident took the > time >> to record it or pass it on. >> >> Family history is an art form not a science and each of us paints or >> records in different styles and media. While you may be frustrated with > the LDS >> site, please consider sharing your genealogy on their site through the >> Pedigree Resource File (PRF) by going to the "SHARE" tab. This way not >> only is the incorrect information on the site but also your corrected > version. >> As site users then it would be up to us to sort out which data is right >> and wrong by finding original records to support it. When you contribute > to >> the PRF, you can provide your name and contact information so that other >> researchers can contact you directly to obtain your sources, discussing >> your findings or share their information. It is also a great way to find >> cousins. >> >> As a family history researcher, I am extremely grateful for all of the >> time and effort that others have spent preparing compiled records and > making >> them available. I truly owe many of my family lines and connections to > those >> who share -- thank you! >> >> Martin >> Family History: the freedom to remember. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: celiageary [mailto:celia_geary@infogen.net.nz] >> Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 6:58 PM >> To: SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Re: SCT-ISLAY-D Digest V06 #140 >> >> I agree with almost everything you said. The LDS through their many >> adherents, give genealogists a source from which we can search further >> and I really appreciate their magnanimity in sharing the website cost > free, >> but what frustrates me, is that when I know information posted on the >> LDS > >> site is erroneous, there is no way of correcting it. All I am trying to > say is >> that the LDS should have a feed-back site so that we can correct errors, >> otherwise they just go on being perpetuated ad infinitum. >> Our local Council entered all the cemetery records on line so that >> genealogists and others could find further info to add to that gained by >> reading gravestones, but there were lots of mistakes, mainly due to poor >> handwriting in the old days, so they provided an email site so that >> researchers could enter corrections for staff to alter the entries and >> remove the errors for the future. That is all I am saying that it would >> be >> helpful for the LDS to do. But after being a researching genealogist for >> over 30 years, I will reiterate , that Primary sources are the best if >> you >> can access them. There are so many extra little snippets of info on a >> primary source. Celia. >> >> ______________________________ >> >> >> ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== >> FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MAILING LIST - HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE - HOW TO >> CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, ETC, ETC...: >> http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/maillist.htm > > > ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== > You can find older, archived messages from this mailing list by visiting: > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/archive1.htm - and from April > 1999, you can access archived messages at > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SCT-ISLAY